Bristow, July 04, 2017 - The HM Coastguard search and rescue (SAR) helicopter base in Prestwick started flying the new Leonardo AW189 helicopter for SAR operations on Saturday 1st July.
The new £20 million AW189 helicopters are painted in red and white HM Coastguard colours, and are operated by Bristow Helicopters Limited on behalf of HM Coastguard. The Coastguard base at Prestwick is the second base in the UK to fly this new model of helicopter for SAR missions, following Lee-on-Solent on the south coast, which began operating with this aircraft on 1st April.
Damien Oliver, Assistant Director for Aviation at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said: “The introduction of this new ground-breaking technology to our Prestwick base represents another very significant milestone. The two brand new AW189s to operate from Prestwick will be capable of working in all weathers and in the UK’s most challenging terrain. The investment in this new technology further underscores the importance with which the MCA views its lifesaving work.”
Russell Torbet, Director of UK SAR at Bristow Helicopters Ltd. said: “We are very pleased to introduce the AW189 SAR aircraft to the Prestwick operation. I have been incredibly impressed by the ethos of our crews and engineers who have been working very hard to transition the Prestwick base from the S-92 to the AW189 and want to take this opportunity to thank them all.
“This base has just reached the 500 taskings mark since going live on 1 January 2016 which shows how active this location is. In addition to that, we have been busy moving teams away to train onto the AW189 while backfilling those with our S-92 and AW189 transition teams who have been doing a sterling job supporting the operation.”
“In terms of the community, I’d like to extend my thanks for their patience while crews have been doing extra training since the AW189s arrived at Prestwick and have potentially created more noise in your area.”
The Leonardo AW189 is the latest generation helicopter in its category and is designed to meet long-range, high endurance requirements for search and rescue missions in the most demanding operational and environmental conditions. Over the next 18 months the AW189 helicopter will be introduced at Coastguard SAR helicopter bases at St Athan, Lydd and Inverness, as part of the £1.9 billion investment by the UK Government in this vital frontline emergency service that rescues or assists around 2,000 people a year.
In 2013, Bristow won the UK Government national contract to deliver SAR operations on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Seven of 10 strategically located bases took over the helicopter civilian SAR responsibility from the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy in a phased approach throughout 2015 and 2016. The existing Coastguard bases at Lee-On-Solent and Stornoway became part of the UK contract in April 2017, with Sumburgh set to follow on 1st July 2017.
About HM Coastguard: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is a frontline delivery and emergency response organisation which is part of the Department for Transport.
Part of the MCA is HM Coastguard, which provides a UK-wide maritime emergency prevention and response capability which responds to calls for help by radio, satellite or the 999 service and coordinates maritime search and rescue (SAR) within the UK SAR region. The agency helps approximately 25,000 people each year with 21,000 incidents coordinated by its rescue centres.
About Bristow Helicopters Ltd: Bristow Helicopters Ltd is the provider of helicopter search and rescue (SAR) services in the UK, on behalf of Her Majesty's Coastguard, having been awarded the UK SAR contract and the Gap SAR contract for Northern Scotland. Bristow Helicopters has a long history of providing world class SAR services, beginning in 1971 at RAF Manston, and has flown more than 60,000 SAR operational hours in the UK and conducted over 15,000 SAR missions, during which more than 7,000 people have been rescued by Bristow crews and helicopters.
Bristow Helicopters Ltd. has served the offshore oil transport industry in the UK for nearly 60 years. Bristow Helicopters Ltd. is an affiliated company of Bristow Group Inc.
About Bristow Group: Bristow Group Inc. is the leading provider of helicopter services to the worldwide offshore energy industry based on the number of aircraft operated and one of two helicopter service providers to the offshore energy industry with global operations. The company has major transportation operations in the North Sea, Nigeria and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, and in most of the other major offshore oil and gas producing regions of the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Russia and Trinidad.
The new £20 million AW189 helicopters are painted in red and white HM Coastguard colours, and are operated by Bristow Helicopters Limited on behalf of HM Coastguard. The Coastguard base at Prestwick is the second base in the UK to fly this new model of helicopter for SAR missions, following Lee-on-Solent on the south coast, which began operating with this aircraft on 1st April.
Damien Oliver, Assistant Director for Aviation at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said: “The introduction of this new ground-breaking technology to our Prestwick base represents another very significant milestone. The two brand new AW189s to operate from Prestwick will be capable of working in all weathers and in the UK’s most challenging terrain. The investment in this new technology further underscores the importance with which the MCA views its lifesaving work.”
Russell Torbet, Director of UK SAR at Bristow Helicopters Ltd. said: “We are very pleased to introduce the AW189 SAR aircraft to the Prestwick operation. I have been incredibly impressed by the ethos of our crews and engineers who have been working very hard to transition the Prestwick base from the S-92 to the AW189 and want to take this opportunity to thank them all.
“This base has just reached the 500 taskings mark since going live on 1 January 2016 which shows how active this location is. In addition to that, we have been busy moving teams away to train onto the AW189 while backfilling those with our S-92 and AW189 transition teams who have been doing a sterling job supporting the operation.”
“In terms of the community, I’d like to extend my thanks for their patience while crews have been doing extra training since the AW189s arrived at Prestwick and have potentially created more noise in your area.”
The Leonardo AW189 is the latest generation helicopter in its category and is designed to meet long-range, high endurance requirements for search and rescue missions in the most demanding operational and environmental conditions. Over the next 18 months the AW189 helicopter will be introduced at Coastguard SAR helicopter bases at St Athan, Lydd and Inverness, as part of the £1.9 billion investment by the UK Government in this vital frontline emergency service that rescues or assists around 2,000 people a year.
In 2013, Bristow won the UK Government national contract to deliver SAR operations on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Seven of 10 strategically located bases took over the helicopter civilian SAR responsibility from the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy in a phased approach throughout 2015 and 2016. The existing Coastguard bases at Lee-On-Solent and Stornoway became part of the UK contract in April 2017, with Sumburgh set to follow on 1st July 2017.
About HM Coastguard: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is a frontline delivery and emergency response organisation which is part of the Department for Transport.
Part of the MCA is HM Coastguard, which provides a UK-wide maritime emergency prevention and response capability which responds to calls for help by radio, satellite or the 999 service and coordinates maritime search and rescue (SAR) within the UK SAR region. The agency helps approximately 25,000 people each year with 21,000 incidents coordinated by its rescue centres.
About Bristow Helicopters Ltd: Bristow Helicopters Ltd is the provider of helicopter search and rescue (SAR) services in the UK, on behalf of Her Majesty's Coastguard, having been awarded the UK SAR contract and the Gap SAR contract for Northern Scotland. Bristow Helicopters has a long history of providing world class SAR services, beginning in 1971 at RAF Manston, and has flown more than 60,000 SAR operational hours in the UK and conducted over 15,000 SAR missions, during which more than 7,000 people have been rescued by Bristow crews and helicopters.
Bristow Helicopters Ltd. has served the offshore oil transport industry in the UK for nearly 60 years. Bristow Helicopters Ltd. is an affiliated company of Bristow Group Inc.
About Bristow Group: Bristow Group Inc. is the leading provider of helicopter services to the worldwide offshore energy industry based on the number of aircraft operated and one of two helicopter service providers to the offshore energy industry with global operations. The company has major transportation operations in the North Sea, Nigeria and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, and in most of the other major offshore oil and gas producing regions of the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Russia and Trinidad.
See also |
Prestwick sector HM Coastguard Her Majesty’s Coastguard AW189 in
HM Coastguard AW189 in
Bristow 
